Washington Wizards Receive: F Doug McDermott, G/F Josh Richardson, F Keldon Johnson, 2022 First-Round Pick (No. 9 – SAS)
San Antonio Spurs Receive: Bradley Beal
As with all of these trades, the veterans don’t count for much. In essence, this is Keldon Johnson and the ninth overall pick for Bradley Beal.
That feels like a fair trade for both sides. Last year, Johnson averaged 17.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting 39.8% from long range. That’s outstanding production at the age of 21. Devin Vassell may-or-may-not be a star in the making, while Johnson appears likely to take his career in that direction.
For a suddenly rebuilding Washington Wizards team, that’s huge. So, for that matter, is the ninth overall pick. The Wizards would enter the 2022-23 season with a solid base of young talent.
On a related note, they’d probably also bottom out. That would be ideal in their circumstances. This trade provides them with an easy blueprint for their rebuild. They’ll enter 2022-23 with interesting young talent that won’t be enough to win games.
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With a little luck, they’ll enter 2023-24 with Victor Wembenyama or Scoot Henderson.
